Causes of seepage water in drainage and grouting galleries of the Pandoh Dam, Central Himalaya

At the Pandoh Dam in the Central Himalaya, a reddish brown material was observed seeping through drainage holes in three of the galleries. Initially considered to be phyllitic oxide, this was chemically analysed and found to be sulphate radicals. A sulphate concentration of 861.50 ppm was recorded in the seepage water. Petrography of the bedrocks and X-ray analysis of the suspended reddish brown powder as well as chemical analysis of the seepage water revealed the presence of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and the conversion of monosulphate phases into ettringite phases as the major cause of expansion and seepage. This process is accompanied by a significant volume increase which it was concluded was responsible for the internal stresses causing the cracking through which the seepage water entered the drainage and grouting galleries.     

Potential of fly ash to suppress the susceptible behavior of lime-treated gypseous soil

The use of lime and fly ash to improve the properties of certain types of soil is well established. However, the potential of fly ash to control the adverse effects of lime-treated gypseous/sulphatic soil has not been well investigated. In the present work, an attempt is made to quantify the fly ash content used to suppress the susceptible behavior of lime-treated gypseous soil. Series of one-dimensional swell and compressibility analyses are performed on various combinations of expansive soil with a predominance of montmorillonite mineral containing lime, gypsum (0–6%), and fly ash (0–30%). It is observed that the volume change behavior of the lime-treated gypseous soil is not controlled completely by addition of fly ash. However, the maximum improvement in the volume change behavior of the lime-treated gypseous soil is observed with a 20% fly ash content, and hence, can be taken as the Optimum Fly ash Content (OFC). Micro-analyses revealed that the relative dominance of the change in gradation and the formation of cementitious compounds of different compositions and ettringite crystals are the key factors in controlling the volume change behavior of lime-treated gypseous soil with fly ash. However, several factors, such as the types of minerals present in the soil, the types of fly ash and lime, and other physico-chemical environmental conditions (temperature, method of curing, and so on), are seen in the present study to affect the value of the obtained OFC.     

A hydration study of various calcium sulfoaluminate cements

The present work studies the hydration process and microstructural features of five calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements and a ternary mixture including also ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The pastes were studied with simultaneous differential thermal-thermogravimetric (DTA-TG) analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and expansion/shrinkage tests. The DTA-TG analysis confirmed the role of the hydration reactions involving the main CSA clinker constituent, tetracalcium trialuminate sulfate, which produced (i) ettringite when combined with lime and calcium sulfate, (ii) ettringite and aluminum hydroxide in the presence of calcium sulfate alone, and (iii) monosulfate and aluminum hydroxide in the absence of both lime and calcium sulfate. The MIP and SEM were able to discriminate between expansive (ternary mixture and CSA cement containing 50% gypsum) and non-expansive cements. Expansive cement pastes had (i) a nearly unimodal pore size distribution shifted toward higher radii and (ii) ettringite crystals smaller in size during the first day of curing. In a SEM image of a hardened paste of the CSA cement containing 50% gypsum, a stellate ettringite cluster was observed.     

Microstructural changes in concretes with sulfate exposure

In prior papers the responses of concretes to 50,000 ppm MgSO₄ exposure depending on cement type, w/cm and the presence of slag were described. The present paper completes this analysis by examining the effects of immersion of concretes produced using slag blended cements, in solutions containing 50,000 ppm of sodium sulfate. The spatial evolution of microstructure associated with carbonation and sulfate attack show differences which can be related to the nature of the cation associated with the sulfate, the cement type, and the w/cm ratio.     

Performance characteristics of concrete based on a ternary calcium sulfoaluminate–anhydrite–fly ash cement

This paper reports an assessment of the performance of concrete based on a calcium sulfoaluminate–anhydrite–fly ash cement combination. Concretes were prepared at three different w/c ratios and the properties were compared to those of Portland cement and blast-furnace cement concretes. The assessment involved determination of mechanical and durability properties. The results suggest that an advantageous synergistic effect between and ettringite and fly ash (Ioannou et al., 2014) was reflected in the concrete’s low water absorption rates, high sulfate resistance, and low chloride diffusion coefficients. However, carbonation depths, considering the dense ettringite-rich microstructure developed, were higher than those observed in Portland cement concretes at a given w/c ratio. It was concluded that the amount of alkali hydroxides present in the pore solution is as important factor as the w/c ratio when performance of this type of concrete is addressed.     

Effect of NaOH activation on sulphate resistance of GGBFS and binary blend pastes

This paper presents an investigation into the observed enhanced performance that alkali activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and binary blends offer against sulphate attack. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was carried out to identify and quantify the crystalline phases formed in a wide range of GGBFS and GGBFS-OPC (ordinary Portland cement) blends. Furthermore, specimens were exposed to a sulphate solution to examine the evolution of compressive strength along with identification of activation and/or hydration products. XRD demonstrated that ettringite was completely decomposed into its constituents in the presence of NaOH while quantification ascertained the formation of considerable amounts of hydrotalcite in the activated GGBFS and binary blends. Alkali activated GGBFS and binary blends specimens with higher GGBFS content offered enhanced resistance against aggressive sulphate ions and no significant degradation products were observed in these specimens after 6 months of exposure to sulphate solution. The results demonstrated that hydrotalcite formation may be a major reason for the improved sulphate resistance of alkali activated GGBFS and binary blend pastes with higher GGBFS content.     

钙矾石膨胀机理的SEM研究

本文利用扫描电镜观察了在具有不同矿物组成的系统中生成的钙矾石的形成与膨胀机理。发现能够产生膨胀的钙矾石是由局部化学反应所生成；它们在未水化的铝酸盐矿物表面原地结晶，呈放射状生长。通过溶解，沉淀生成的钙矾石不能凝结，没有膨胀性。     

Mechanism of thaumasite formation in concrete slabs on grade in Southern California

Thaumasite formation has been observed in residential concrete slabs on grade in Southern California. The concrete examined did not contain any carbonate bearing aggregates or fillers. Microstructural analyses showed a carbonated layer with calcite and gypsum at the bottom of the concrete. Above the carbonation layer, deposits of intermixed gypsum and thaumasite were observed. Further into the concrete towards the upper surface, deposits of thaumasite alone or in combination with ettringite were observed. Most of the thaumasite deposits were observed in air voids. SEM–EDS analysis showed deposits of ettringite, thaumasite and intermediate phases within the same air voids. The formation of thaumasite, ettringite and gypsum was caused by ingress of sulfate and carbonate ions from ground water. The presence of thaumasite, ettringite and intermediate phases in the same air void indicates that ettringite is first formed followed by thaumasite with a series of solid solutions. In this reaction process the pH of the local environment and the balance between sulfate, silicate and carbonate ions are important parameters.     

混凝土中钙矾石的研究进展综述

本文主要从混凝土中钙矾石的结构、在混凝土中的形成机理、性质以及其在混凝土中生长规律五个方面简要综述了国内外钙矾石研究的进展 ,为以后进一步研究钙矾石作必要的准备。     

Ettringite formation in historic bath brick-lime plasters

Two types of historic hydraulic brick-lime plasters from a selected Ottoman bath are examined to characterize their technology and the appropriateness of their use in bath. The first type of plaster is original and structurally sound, while the historic repair plaster is the second type and is found to have deteriorated despite being exposed to the same environment. This difference is investigated by comparing their raw material compositions and the pozzolanic activities of the brick powders used in the plasters. Although these results showed no significant differences, ettringite crystals are detected in the historic repair ones by XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDS analysis. The repair plaster may have lost its integrity owing to the expansion generated by the growth of ettringite crystals in the plaster. In this study, the ettringite formation is discussed in relation to hydration reaction products of lime-brick plasters, possible sources of gypsum, and the climatic conditions of historic bath building.